NEW ULM, Minn. - The Martin Luther College baseball team finished the 2019 season with a doubleheader split at home against Northland College on Saturday. The Knights won game one 9-2 before dropping game two 14-4.

MLC 9, Northland 2

The Knights scored eight early runs on the way to a 9-2 win in game one.

MLC left four runners on base in the first two innings, but scored four times in both the third and fourth innings to take a commanding lead. The Knights took advantage of Northland starting pitcher Carson Ferry's seven walks in 2.2 innings, turning three of those walks and a hit by pitch into four runs in the third inning. In the fourth, Joey Behm, Alex Smothers and Nate Goelzer each drove in runs to push the lead to 8-0.

That was more than enough for starting pitcher Andrew Mantz (2-5), who threw a complete game and allowed two runs (one earned) in the eighth inning. Mantz allowed only five hits and three walks while striking out four to earn his second win of the season.

Behm and Smothers led the offensive charge for MLC with two hits apiece. Both players also scored two runs in the game, while Matt Baehman stole a pair of bases in the win.

Northland 14, MLC 4

The Lumberjacks came to life offensively in game two to earn a split with a 14-4 win.

MLC scored twice in the first inning on RBI from Caleb Christopher and Jared Lindemann, but Northland came back to score five times in the second inning. 

Northland wasn't done at the plate, scoring twice in the third, sixth and eighth innings, while also adding one run in the fifth, seventh and ninth frames.

Baehman (1-4) started the game for MLC and allowed eight runs on eight hits in 5.0 innings in defeat., but recorded two hits and one RBI at the plate. Christopher, Goelzer and Adam Westra also finished with two hits in the game.

MLC finished the season 6-27 overall and 4-12 in UMAC play following the split. Northland moved to 11-23-1 on the season and 5-11 in league play with the split.